1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,240 In the House of the Lord. Tell you what, as I get older, 2 00:00:02,240 --> 00:00:04,920 it seems like I take more stuff and lay it out here, you know, 3 00:00:04,920 --> 00:00:07,480 as I get older, got my reading glasses lay out there. 4 00:00:07,880 --> 00:00:10,280 Lord forbid if I ever get false teeth and have to lay them down, 5 00:00:10,280 --> 00:00:12,840 you know, my cane or something. It's just as I get older, 6 00:00:12,840 --> 00:00:15,680 there's more stuff to put on the pulpit, Amen. 7 00:00:15,680 --> 00:00:18,840 So Lord, help us all, Amen. So good to be here today. 8 00:00:18,840 --> 00:00:21,200 See all your smiling faces, each one of you. 9 00:00:21,200 --> 00:00:22,760 Have you here? Some of you haven't seen in a 10 00:00:22,760 --> 00:00:24,960 while. And such good to see you here 11 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:27,560 that you're able to be back in God's house, Amen. 12 00:00:27,560 --> 00:00:30,320 Such a blessing this morning to do so. 13 00:00:30,320 --> 00:00:33,560 Ray, It's good to see you, Amen. I love to see that smiling face 14 00:00:33,560 --> 00:00:35,800 of yours, Trent. It's good to have you this 15 00:00:35,800 --> 00:00:38,640 morning with us, Ashley. It's good to have you and Asher 16 00:00:38,640 --> 00:00:44,000 and Arya and Aiden and Abby and all all the 18 you know with us 17 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:46,400 this morning. We're so glad about that, Amen. 18 00:00:46,400 --> 00:00:49,040 Today, each in the House of the Lord, Amen. 19 00:00:49,280 --> 00:00:51,520 We're going to be turning to the book of Philippians and you 20 00:00:51,520 --> 00:00:54,600 won't have to stand for long. I just have one verse so that 21 00:00:54,600 --> 00:00:58,240 allows you to that that really indicates nothing, but I have 22 00:00:58,240 --> 00:01:01,640 one verse that I'm going to read and you can be seated this 23 00:01:01,640 --> 00:01:03,880 morning. I host the Lord so many things 24 00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:06,880 like they said going on this weekend, shenanigans and things. 25 00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:09,960 We had a yard sale at our house. I got up Saturday morning, was 26 00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:12,880 taking toilet paper off everything so I could, you know, 27 00:01:12,880 --> 00:01:16,520 have a yard sale and things and. Yeah. 28 00:01:17,320 --> 00:01:20,200 And here's the thing folks, I'm doing this, you know, yard sale 29 00:01:20,200 --> 00:01:23,840 start early and no disrespect, but you have all the vultures 30 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:25,720 that show up before it's ever time to open. 31 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:29,800 And just with my personality. It just kind of just whatever, 32 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:31,920 I'm out there in my house shoes, right? 33 00:01:32,360 --> 00:01:35,080 Picking up toilet. Paper got a big old wad of it my 34 00:01:35,080 --> 00:01:38,840 arm and someone stops by Rose. Down the window and says hey, do 35 00:01:38,840 --> 00:01:40,640 you know where the yard sale is at? 36 00:01:41,160 --> 00:01:44,160 He knew where the yard sale was. I say, yeah, it's here. 37 00:01:44,160 --> 00:01:47,920 At 8:00, you know. And I went on put my he came, 38 00:01:47,960 --> 00:01:52,160 but nonetheless, Amen. So all the different shenanigans 39 00:01:52,160 --> 00:01:54,560 going on ignites had a busy weekend. 40 00:01:54,760 --> 00:01:56,680 Philippians 310. I told you I wouldn't have you 41 00:01:56,680 --> 00:01:58,000 stand alone, but I start talking. 42 00:01:58,040 --> 00:02:03,560 Sorry about that, Paul says. That I may know him and the. 43 00:02:03,560 --> 00:02:08,000 Power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings 44 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:12,960 being made conformable unto His death. 45 00:02:13,480 --> 00:02:16,120 I might know him man for a little while today. 46 00:02:16,120 --> 00:02:19,360 I want to minister this, and you'll understand this better as 47 00:02:19,360 --> 00:02:23,400 we get along, but I want to minister out of the cross. 48 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:29,360 Out of the cross, Hallelujah. Can you help me today as we pray 49 00:02:29,360 --> 00:02:31,600 that Lord would touch our hearts collectively, Father. 50 00:02:32,080 --> 00:02:33,520 God, we need you this. Morning. 51 00:02:33,520 --> 00:02:36,560 We need, Lord, to touch God. We're already thankful, Lord, 52 00:02:36,560 --> 00:02:38,880 for your spirit God, that we have felt here, Lord, through 53 00:02:38,880 --> 00:02:42,400 the songs, Lord, today, God, people giving themselves Lord 54 00:02:42,400 --> 00:02:44,960 and praise and worship. We pray, O Lord, that we could 55 00:02:44,960 --> 00:02:48,040 give of ourselves, Lord, through the ministry of the Word God, 56 00:02:48,120 --> 00:02:51,200 that we might find someone, Lord, where they are today and 57 00:02:51,200 --> 00:02:53,320 be an encouragement or strength or help. 58 00:02:53,600 --> 00:02:55,640 God in their hour of need, and we will not. 59 00:02:55,640 --> 00:02:59,120 Fail to thank you Lord, for what you do and accomplish in this 60 00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:03,600 place in Jesus name that I pray a man you may be seated this 61 00:03:03,600 --> 00:03:07,280 morning in Jesus name out of the cross. 62 00:03:08,160 --> 00:03:09,400 Have you? Have you? 63 00:03:09,400 --> 00:03:13,640 Ever rated your pain on a? Scale from zero to 10. 64 00:03:14,320 --> 00:03:15,800 You ever done that? You ever? 65 00:03:15,800 --> 00:03:19,240 Been to the emergency room or been to the doctor's office? 66 00:03:19,240 --> 00:03:22,000 And if you have, then you're probably familiar with what I'm 67 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:23,880 talking about. When they have asked you. 68 00:03:24,200 --> 00:03:27,520 Well tell me what is your pain on a scale from zero to 10 or 69 00:03:27,520 --> 00:03:30,560 one to 10? And the reason why this is done 70 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:34,960 is because pain is. Deeply personal pain is deeply. 71 00:03:34,960 --> 00:03:39,200 Personal and it can be challenging at times to really 72 00:03:39,200 --> 00:03:44,360 describe or quantify pain in our in our bodies and in our lives 73 00:03:44,560 --> 00:03:48,560 and one thing is for sure what. What may feel like severe pain 74 00:03:48,560 --> 00:03:51,480 to you may not. Be that to somebody else. 75 00:03:51,480 --> 00:03:54,960 We all experience pain even differently. 76 00:03:54,960 --> 00:03:57,560 And for this. Reason they develop the pain. 77 00:03:57,560 --> 00:04:00,320 Scale of 0 or one to 10, zero to 10. 78 00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:02,720 According where you're at to to give us a way. 79 00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:05,960 To express ourselves. And to be able to express our 80 00:04:05,960 --> 00:04:09,880 intensity of of something that at times can be very. 81 00:04:09,880 --> 00:04:13,240 Difficult to put into words. I know I, I I've. 82 00:04:13,240 --> 00:04:15,120 Dealt with people before that the. 83 00:04:15,120 --> 00:04:17,040 Pain that they were experiencing in the. 84 00:04:17,040 --> 00:04:18,920 Life, even emotional pain, right? 85 00:04:19,320 --> 00:04:22,640 It's just so so. Difficult to articulate or to. 86 00:04:22,760 --> 00:04:25,680 Define that they didn't have the word sufficient. 87 00:04:25,680 --> 00:04:26,520 In order. To do it. 88 00:04:26,520 --> 00:04:30,040 Because let's face it, in these lives, we of course know that we 89 00:04:30,040 --> 00:04:32,880 deal with physical pain, right? There's the aches and the pains. 90 00:04:32,880 --> 00:04:35,360 Or something traumatic could happen that causes. 91 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:38,200 Physical pain. But there is also emotional. 92 00:04:38,200 --> 00:04:41,280 Pain. There is spiritual pain, if if 93 00:04:41,280 --> 00:04:42,680 you will. There's sometimes that we go 94 00:04:42,680 --> 00:04:46,080 through some things in our spiritual lives that that bring 95 00:04:46,120 --> 00:04:48,640 and, and, and. Offer pain to our lives, 96 00:04:48,960 --> 00:04:51,760 researchers even. Said and I I was discussing this 97 00:04:51,760 --> 00:04:53,840 with my daughter. Because she's reading a book. 98 00:04:53,840 --> 00:04:55,960 That I have. Read and she hit something. 99 00:04:55,960 --> 00:04:58,560 That I thought was interesting and she was paying attention to 100 00:04:58,560 --> 00:05:00,120 all the. Places that I underlined in the 101 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:02,400 book, because that's what I do, and then I catalog it. 102 00:05:02,400 --> 00:05:05,080 But I won't get into all that. It's a process, all right. 103 00:05:05,320 --> 00:05:07,960 But nonetheless, research has shown that the same part of the 104 00:05:07,960 --> 00:05:10,960 brain that reacts to physical pain. 105 00:05:11,360 --> 00:05:15,040 Also responds whenever we experience emotional hurt or 106 00:05:15,040 --> 00:05:18,600 rejection. In other words, whenever you go 107 00:05:18,600 --> 00:05:21,040 through. Emotional pain that very same. 108 00:05:21,040 --> 00:05:22,240 Area of your. Brain. 109 00:05:22,960 --> 00:05:26,200 Just starts to fire as. If you were feeling physical. 110 00:05:26,200 --> 00:05:29,400 Pain, that's the reason why that you can come across people 111 00:05:29,400 --> 00:05:32,960 that's going through emotional trauma, so to speak, and they'll 112 00:05:32,960 --> 00:05:35,000 just say, but it just hurts so much. 113 00:05:35,600 --> 00:05:37,400 They're speaking. They're speaking something very 114 00:05:37,400 --> 00:05:41,160 literal, same area of their brain aspiring as though if they 115 00:05:41,160 --> 00:05:44,080 were physically wounded or. Physically hurt and so. 116 00:05:44,280 --> 00:05:47,560 Our brain process. Emotional pain and and physical 117 00:05:47,560 --> 00:05:50,400 pain very. Similarly and so there are times 118 00:05:50,400 --> 00:05:53,120 in our lives I don't know about yours, but I'll just speak for 119 00:05:53,120 --> 00:05:54,760 humanity today. Since I'm a part of. 120 00:05:54,760 --> 00:05:58,320 This fabric, There are times in our lives that there's not even 121 00:05:58,320 --> 00:05:59,680 seemingly a scale. Or. 122 00:05:59,680 --> 00:06:04,160 Words that that need to be understood to describe someone's 123 00:06:04,160 --> 00:06:07,560 magnitude of pain. You'll remember several years 124 00:06:07,560 --> 00:06:10,960 ago now, a girl by the name of Bethany Hamilton and they made a 125 00:06:10,960 --> 00:06:13,840 movie out of it. She was a 13 year old surfer who 126 00:06:13,840 --> 00:06:17,200 lost her arm to to a. Shark as she was swimming. 127 00:06:17,400 --> 00:06:20,000 Off of one of the Hawaiian Islands, there was like a. 14 128 00:06:20,000 --> 00:06:22,920 foot tiger shark that. Came and just took one of her 129 00:06:22,920 --> 00:06:26,680 arms there in 2000 and. 3. And so in a situation like that, 130 00:06:26,680 --> 00:06:29,960 I guarantee you whenever she entered in and they had her 131 00:06:29,960 --> 00:06:33,440 brought into that emergency room there in Hawaii, I doubt someone 132 00:06:33,440 --> 00:06:35,800 looked at her and said, could you rate your pain on the 133 00:06:35,800 --> 00:06:39,960 scales? Just not going to do that. 134 00:06:41,280 --> 00:06:44,080 What what they could see, what they could observe that the 135 00:06:44,080 --> 00:06:46,880 suffering was obvious, that it was immediate. 136 00:06:46,880 --> 00:06:48,640 It's profound. You don't have to ask. 137 00:06:48,640 --> 00:06:50,480 In those scenarios. It's there. 138 00:06:50,680 --> 00:06:54,240 And so whenever we encounter unbearable pain, our bodies, 139 00:06:54,240 --> 00:06:57,600 even Fred McGee knows this. These guys that are first 140 00:06:57,600 --> 00:07:01,720 responders, sometimes our bodies go into shock, right? 141 00:07:02,080 --> 00:07:05,600 It's a survival mechanism that our body has, it's trying to 142 00:07:05,600 --> 00:07:08,080 protect. Our organs from and stuff. 143 00:07:08,080 --> 00:07:09,600 From further harm, it's it's just a. 144 00:07:09,600 --> 00:07:13,280 Common response that our body. Can have and sometimes even some 145 00:07:13,280 --> 00:07:16,440 that they went to in deep pain that their consciousness is 146 00:07:16,440 --> 00:07:19,200 reduced. Your body's doing that to try to 147 00:07:19,200 --> 00:07:22,720 protect you, just so that you can cope with what you're going. 148 00:07:22,720 --> 00:07:25,000 Through in the moment. And we have different 149 00:07:25,000 --> 00:07:26,640 adjectives. There's different adjectives out 150 00:07:26,640 --> 00:07:30,000 there to describe our pain. I've heard people talk about a 151 00:07:30,040 --> 00:07:34,920 throbbing pain, stabbing pain, aching pain, burn, burning pain, 152 00:07:34,920 --> 00:07:36,160 Right. Oh, what do you go? 153 00:07:36,160 --> 00:07:40,000 It's just a crippling pain, you know, trying to just, you know, 154 00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:43,200 describe what they are facing because sometimes it feels 155 00:07:43,200 --> 00:07:45,840 larger in life. My mom, she's been in pain. 156 00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:49,240 My mom, sometimes she says, Paul, it's just so bad. 157 00:07:49,240 --> 00:07:50,280 I just can't. Hardly. 158 00:07:50,280 --> 00:07:53,760 Stand. I didn't have any other word, 159 00:07:53,760 --> 00:07:58,000 but that's the only description. And so in the 1500s, a new word 160 00:07:58,200 --> 00:08:02,640 emerged for pain that was so severe that that there was no 161 00:08:02,640 --> 00:08:07,080 existing term up to that moment in time that could capture the 162 00:08:07,080 --> 00:08:09,480 type of pain that someone was experiencing. 163 00:08:09,480 --> 00:08:13,160 And the word was excruciating pain. 164 00:08:14,480 --> 00:08:17,840 You, you can look at that, at the derivatives of this word, 165 00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:22,200 but it literally means this out of the cross. 166 00:08:23,200 --> 00:08:27,120 Out of the cross. It, it was, it was something 167 00:08:27,120 --> 00:08:30,800 that people was trying to associate with with what their 168 00:08:30,800 --> 00:08:34,000 pain was like they're saying it's out of the cross. 169 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:36,720 The only thing that they could point to, to associate it with 170 00:08:36,960 --> 00:08:41,320 was a crucifix, particularly the agony that all of us know that's 171 00:08:41,320 --> 00:08:44,720 written of in Scripture of Jesus Christ and what he endured on 172 00:08:44,720 --> 00:08:47,040 the cross. And so it became since the 173 00:08:47,040 --> 00:08:53,800 1500s, forward a go to word for pain, for severe pain, intense 174 00:08:53,800 --> 00:08:58,600 pain, scale #10 pain maybe even scale 6 for you because it might 175 00:08:58,600 --> 00:09:01,960 feel excruciating at six to you, but nonetheless, it is 176 00:09:02,080 --> 00:09:07,960 excruciating pain at the torment of a crucifix out of the cross 177 00:09:08,200 --> 00:09:10,480 type of pain, I say this morning. 178 00:09:10,480 --> 00:09:13,040 But maybe there could be someone here today that's dealing with 179 00:09:13,040 --> 00:09:15,360 some pain. And you might have physical 180 00:09:15,360 --> 00:09:17,680 pain, yes, but you might be. Dealing with some emotional 181 00:09:17,680 --> 00:09:19,840 pain. You might have some spiritual 182 00:09:19,840 --> 00:09:22,000 pain. You might be sitting here on 183 00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:25,520 these pews, those old hardwood pews this morning with some 184 00:09:25,520 --> 00:09:26,720 pain. Hey, man. 185 00:09:26,720 --> 00:09:29,920 And you're suffering maybe from a chronic illness or perhaps 186 00:09:29,920 --> 00:09:33,280 you're suffering some, some type of term traumatic injury that 187 00:09:33,280 --> 00:09:36,720 you've had in the past or, or maybe there's some that's not 188 00:09:36,720 --> 00:09:38,560 too far removed from having had surgery. 189 00:09:38,560 --> 00:09:41,200 You might have some post operative pain still that you're 190 00:09:41,200 --> 00:09:44,480 dealing with, or you might have some unrelenting pain of a 191 00:09:44,480 --> 00:09:48,200 terminal illness or you know someone that does or, or maybe 192 00:09:48,200 --> 00:09:51,240 you're dealing with this morning, just some overwhelming 193 00:09:51,240 --> 00:09:54,160 emotional pain. You've not talked to anybody, 194 00:09:54,160 --> 00:09:56,880 you've not said anything to anybody, but in your heart and 195 00:09:56,880 --> 00:09:59,160 in your brain, there's things that's happening, right? 196 00:09:59,160 --> 00:10:01,760 Those same areas are clicking as though you're experiencing 197 00:10:01,760 --> 00:10:04,880 physical pain and you go to work with it and you come home and 198 00:10:04,880 --> 00:10:08,280 you lay down at night and all there is, is the emotional drama 199 00:10:08,280 --> 00:10:10,040 of that type of pain. Amen. 200 00:10:10,040 --> 00:10:12,520 Someone might be dealing with the emotional pain still yet, 201 00:10:12,520 --> 00:10:16,560 sister Amen, Sam, of the loss of a loved one that could still be 202 00:10:16,560 --> 00:10:18,800 skirting around, if you will, your life. 203 00:10:18,960 --> 00:10:21,200 Perhaps you're dealing with the pain of betrayal. 204 00:10:21,480 --> 00:10:24,040 Perhaps you're dealing with the pain of estrangement from 205 00:10:24,040 --> 00:10:27,120 someone that you cared for, someone that you loved and it 206 00:10:27,120 --> 00:10:30,520 left a wound upon your life that seems not to heal you. 207 00:10:30,720 --> 00:10:35,920 You might even be experiencing some some PTSD from physical 208 00:10:35,920 --> 00:10:39,600 abuse when you was a kid, sexual abuse when you was a kid, 209 00:10:40,000 --> 00:10:42,560 emotional abuse whenever you was a kid. 210 00:10:42,760 --> 00:10:45,360 Hey man, certain little things kind of trigger you and bring 211 00:10:45,360 --> 00:10:47,960 the emotion of feelings back up in your life. 212 00:10:47,960 --> 00:10:51,200 You might be feeling the crushing weight of loneliness, 213 00:10:51,440 --> 00:10:55,640 isolation, nobody around. Days stretch into months and 214 00:10:55,640 --> 00:10:57,760 there's no relief. It feels like you're by 215 00:10:57,760 --> 00:10:59,840 yourself, even in a room that's full. 216 00:11:01,840 --> 00:11:05,040 You might be dealing with this morning, some spiritual distress 217 00:11:05,040 --> 00:11:07,120 that equally, can be excruciating. 218 00:11:07,240 --> 00:11:09,680 Maybe you're dealing with some unanswered prayers. 219 00:11:11,240 --> 00:11:15,120 Maybe there's some circumstances going on in your life that that 220 00:11:15,120 --> 00:11:17,880 doesn't make sense and you're starting to do the game in your 221 00:11:17,880 --> 00:11:19,680 mind. But I serve the Lord and I do 222 00:11:19,680 --> 00:11:22,280 this for the Lord and Lord, why don't you do this for me type of 223 00:11:22,280 --> 00:11:24,680 scenario going on in your life and your mind. 224 00:11:24,880 --> 00:11:28,120 Perhaps you're feeling feelings of guilt and saying things that 225 00:11:28,120 --> 00:11:29,720 are tormenting you from the past. 226 00:11:29,920 --> 00:11:33,200 And all these things seem to mirror to a certain degree, the 227 00:11:33,240 --> 00:11:36,640 hours of darkness that was experienced on Calvary's 228 00:11:36,640 --> 00:11:40,720 healing, all of the oppressive forces and the relentless fear 229 00:11:40,720 --> 00:11:44,240 that was constantly coming there, even among the disciples 230 00:11:44,240 --> 00:11:46,920 and those that waited. The spiritual attacks that 231 00:11:46,920 --> 00:11:50,040 sometimes Pierce your soul. Do you ever feel like you're 232 00:11:50,040 --> 00:11:51,680 being pierced? Amen. 233 00:11:51,680 --> 00:11:54,240 And it's not natural and it's not emotional, but there's 234 00:11:54,240 --> 00:11:57,800 something spiritual that's just piercing your soul. 235 00:11:59,480 --> 00:12:03,760 But here's the truth this morning, the moment that we 236 00:12:03,760 --> 00:12:10,360 identify our pain with the cross and with all the severity what 237 00:12:10,360 --> 00:12:13,840 we're facing in life, once we take that and we identify that 238 00:12:13,840 --> 00:12:17,920 without of the cross, something with the cross, you've also 239 00:12:18,360 --> 00:12:21,080 identified in that moment with hope. 240 00:12:23,280 --> 00:12:27,360 Amen. Because Christ changed the 241 00:12:27,360 --> 00:12:32,880 picture of Gogolfa. Christ changed the picture of 242 00:12:32,880 --> 00:12:37,600 Calvary as time would go prior to the day that Christ was on 243 00:12:37,600 --> 00:12:40,520 the cross. It was a place of a curse. 244 00:12:40,960 --> 00:12:45,240 It was a place that was a gory place, a gruesome place. 245 00:12:45,520 --> 00:12:47,560 It was a place where death occurred. 246 00:12:47,840 --> 00:12:51,760 It was a place where pain was almost unbearable. 247 00:12:51,920 --> 00:12:54,280 It was all of that. But whenever Christ went to the 248 00:12:54,280 --> 00:12:59,480 cross, Christ took a gory place and turned it into a glorious 249 00:12:59,480 --> 00:13:02,000 place. The cross now just wasn't a 250 00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:05,120 symbol of suffering and a symbol a pain. 251 00:13:05,440 --> 00:13:09,800 It became a gateway to a new life and a powerful 252 00:13:09,800 --> 00:13:13,760 resurrection. Craig Rochelle wrote once he was 253 00:13:13,760 --> 00:13:16,600 sharing a powerful story about his grandmother. 254 00:13:17,240 --> 00:13:20,360 And he said before she passed, he asked her, he said, grandma, 255 00:13:20,360 --> 00:13:23,160 what were you thinking whenever you were laying on the floor and 256 00:13:23,160 --> 00:13:25,920 you you had suffered that stroke and you were laying on the floor 257 00:13:25,920 --> 00:13:28,560 by yourself in your house. What what were you thinking 258 00:13:28,560 --> 00:13:31,200 during that moment? And her answer back to him was 259 00:13:31,200 --> 00:13:35,120 unforgettable for them. She said this, she said, I never 260 00:13:35,280 --> 00:13:39,920 been closer to God in my whole life than when I was in pain. 261 00:13:41,920 --> 00:13:45,760 Said never have I been any closer than when I was in pain 262 00:13:46,400 --> 00:13:50,640 because sometimes we mistakenly think that pain means pain that 263 00:13:50,640 --> 00:13:54,120 we experience pain that we feel physically, emotionally, that 264 00:13:54,120 --> 00:13:58,880 that means that God is silent and God is absent and God is far 265 00:13:58,880 --> 00:14:02,800 from us and God is not close and God is forgotten about us. 266 00:14:03,120 --> 00:14:06,120 But the reality of the fact is this, whenever you're 267 00:14:06,120 --> 00:14:09,680 experiencing pain, that's when God draws close to you. 268 00:14:09,920 --> 00:14:12,840 Whenever you're experiencing emotional trauma, that's when 269 00:14:12,840 --> 00:14:16,640 God draws near to you. If he's not afar, he's he's not 270 00:14:16,640 --> 00:14:20,360 on some journey somewhere, no, he might be there, he might not 271 00:14:20,360 --> 00:14:23,280 be saying anything, but he's there in your dilemma. 272 00:14:23,480 --> 00:14:28,280 He's there in your circumstance, he's there in your heart, the 273 00:14:28,320 --> 00:14:31,080 psalmist said of Psalms 34 and 18. 274 00:14:31,440 --> 00:14:42,480 The Lord is nigh to them that are of a broken heart and save 275 00:14:42,480 --> 00:14:49,400 us, such as be of a contrite spirit, the Lord is nigh. 276 00:14:50,240 --> 00:14:56,560 It means the Lord is at hand. It means the Lord is among those 277 00:14:56,560 --> 00:14:59,520 types. Those types that are broken, 278 00:14:59,880 --> 00:15:02,240 meaning crushed and destroyed and shattered. 279 00:15:02,440 --> 00:15:04,880 Those that are contrite, literally meaning those that 280 00:15:04,880 --> 00:15:09,120 have been ground to powder, those that have been ground to 281 00:15:09,120 --> 00:15:10,920 dust. Both the words broken and 282 00:15:10,920 --> 00:15:13,880 contrite in Psalms 3418 are significant. 283 00:15:14,080 --> 00:15:16,400 He been broken in a a pictoral way. 284 00:15:16,640 --> 00:15:20,440 Broken refers to the grain that's placed on a threshing 285 00:15:20,440 --> 00:15:24,280 floor with a threshing wheel taken over it for the purpose of 286 00:15:24,280 --> 00:15:27,800 bursting the seeds out of the holes of the grain. 287 00:15:27,960 --> 00:15:31,480 But when you look at the word contrite, it is a pictograph, 288 00:15:31,760 --> 00:15:35,840 Amen, of someone that's grinding seeds with a pestle and like a 289 00:15:35,840 --> 00:15:40,320 Crucible, just grinding seeds until they reach power powder. 290 00:15:40,600 --> 00:15:42,880 Amen. So we have this imagery here of 291 00:15:42,880 --> 00:15:45,960 sometimes what God does with the pain in our life. 292 00:15:46,160 --> 00:15:49,040 He's bursting, if you will, new life out of the halls. 293 00:15:49,040 --> 00:15:52,160 He's he's trying to do something in our lives and our hearts. 294 00:15:52,360 --> 00:15:55,640 It feels as though we're being crushed and ground and thrashed 295 00:15:55,880 --> 00:15:58,200 and broken. But in those moments, rest 296 00:15:58,200 --> 00:16:01,560 assured, he said I draw near during those times. 297 00:16:01,840 --> 00:16:06,080 And the reason why he can do that is because Jesus himself, 298 00:16:06,920 --> 00:16:12,160 that even John said was the bread of life, endured a similar 299 00:16:12,360 --> 00:16:15,920 process himself. Isaiah said it like this. 300 00:16:16,040 --> 00:16:22,600 He said bread Corning must be bruised for bread to be made. 301 00:16:22,760 --> 00:16:26,440 There's got to be grain on the threshing floor, and it's got to 302 00:16:26,440 --> 00:16:29,720 be rolled over with something heavy for seeds to burst out of 303 00:16:29,720 --> 00:16:32,080 it. For bread to be made, those 304 00:16:32,080 --> 00:16:34,480 seeds got to be ground down to flour. 305 00:16:35,280 --> 00:16:39,520 They got to be crushed in order, if you will, to create something 306 00:16:39,680 --> 00:16:44,040 that will come forth as bread. The cross was similar to that. 307 00:16:44,240 --> 00:16:46,240 It's called a tribulum. Amen. 308 00:16:46,240 --> 00:16:50,280 It's what they would use to put over top of the of the seeds or 309 00:16:50,280 --> 00:16:52,760 the the holes that was upon the threshing floor. 310 00:16:53,000 --> 00:16:56,240 They would row that upon it. It, it, it had stones in it and 311 00:16:56,240 --> 00:16:59,120 metal in it. In order to crush and bust those 312 00:16:59,120 --> 00:17:02,240 seeds out of the holes. It was called a tribulum. 313 00:17:02,440 --> 00:17:07,400 It's from where we get our word tribulation, trial, suffering, 314 00:17:07,640 --> 00:17:10,839 pain that there was bursting, all of that out of there. 315 00:17:10,960 --> 00:17:14,800 And I want you to know today that when we endure our trial 316 00:17:15,000 --> 00:17:18,200 and when we endure our tribulation, whether physical, 317 00:17:18,200 --> 00:17:23,319 emotional, spiritual matters not, Christ is close in our 318 00:17:23,319 --> 00:17:26,880 brokenness. He draws near because we are 319 00:17:26,880 --> 00:17:31,200 sharing in the process that something is being made through 320 00:17:31,200 --> 00:17:34,520 what's happening. Someone say Amen. 321 00:17:36,280 --> 00:17:38,520 Paul testified of it. You know what of it in your 322 00:17:38,520 --> 00:17:40,120 scriptures? Paul testified of it. 323 00:17:40,640 --> 00:17:45,840 He said that the suffering of the thorn in his flesh did what 324 00:17:45,840 --> 00:17:47,440 For Paul? That's pain. 325 00:17:48,520 --> 00:17:50,560 Evidently there was enough pain, enough aggravation? 326 00:17:50,560 --> 00:17:52,000 He asked. For the Lord, concerning that 327 00:17:52,000 --> 00:17:57,360 three times Christ answered to him, was this, My grace is 328 00:17:57,360 --> 00:18:01,600 sufficient for you. Paul says I had a. 329 00:18:01,600 --> 00:18:03,880 Thorn and what I learned. In all. 330 00:18:03,880 --> 00:18:06,440 Of this was this. The sufficiency. 331 00:18:06,440 --> 00:18:10,960 Of God's grace. The sufficiency of God's grace. 332 00:18:11,560 --> 00:18:16,200 He was near, he was nigh, Paul said. 333 00:18:16,200 --> 00:18:18,320 In another place. He said that we go through 334 00:18:18,320 --> 00:18:20,320 tribulation and tribulation work of. 335 00:18:20,320 --> 00:18:24,520 Patience. And patience, experience and 336 00:18:24,520 --> 00:18:28,840 experience. Hope so, Pastor McGee. 337 00:18:28,840 --> 00:18:34,680 How do you get then from Tribulation to hope, from pain 338 00:18:35,240 --> 00:18:37,720 to hope? I'll tell you how the. 339 00:18:37,720 --> 00:18:44,160 Cross, someone say Amen. The cross, Everything that it 340 00:18:44,160 --> 00:18:49,160 once was known for is turned on its head because of Christ. 341 00:18:49,720 --> 00:18:55,400 The things of the cross curse, defeat, justice, death. 342 00:18:55,840 --> 00:19:02,680 Christ now made that same thing, blessing, victory, life, mercy. 343 00:19:03,000 --> 00:19:06,520 The cross can take your pain to hope. 344 00:19:06,920 --> 00:19:11,800 When Paul pleaded in our text today that I might know Christ, 345 00:19:12,240 --> 00:19:15,360 he already knew Christ in the initial gospel way. 346 00:19:15,880 --> 00:19:17,920 He'd already repented of his sins. 347 00:19:18,160 --> 00:19:20,560 He had already been baptized in Jesus name. 348 00:19:20,760 --> 00:19:22,920 He had already received the gift of the Holy Ghost. 349 00:19:23,080 --> 00:19:27,280 He had already had his Acts chapter #9 Damascus Rd. 350 00:19:27,280 --> 00:19:32,160 experience and had Ananias come and say, my brothers saw the 351 00:19:32,160 --> 00:19:35,520 Lord Jesus even wanted me to come to you, that I would pray 352 00:19:35,520 --> 00:19:37,240 for you and put my hands up on you. 353 00:19:37,240 --> 00:19:40,120 And not just that the scales would fall off your eyes, but 354 00:19:40,320 --> 00:19:42,200 also that you would receive his spirit. 355 00:19:42,400 --> 00:19:45,800 And the Bible talks about that. They also arose and he was 356 00:19:45,920 --> 00:19:49,120 baptized. He already knew the Lord in that 357 00:19:49,120 --> 00:19:52,160 type of, of, of setting. But he's saying here that I 358 00:19:52,160 --> 00:19:57,080 might know him and the power of his resurrection and the 359 00:19:57,120 --> 00:20:01,200 fellowship of his sufferings being conformable to his death. 360 00:20:01,200 --> 00:20:03,840 What are you saying, Paul? You've already seen the gift of 361 00:20:03,880 --> 00:20:06,440 the Spirit. Yes, I have, and I know that was 362 00:20:06,440 --> 00:20:08,640 initial and important for my life. 363 00:20:08,760 --> 00:20:10,560 But there's something else that I want. 364 00:20:10,720 --> 00:20:14,680 I want to experience the power of his resurrection not on just 365 00:20:14,680 --> 00:20:17,560 one date, on the. Calendar that I marched back 366 00:20:17,560 --> 00:20:20,000 whenever I received the Spirit or filled with the Holy Ghost. 367 00:20:20,200 --> 00:20:23,920 I don't want it as a one day on the calendar that I celebrate 368 00:20:23,920 --> 00:20:26,600 from year to year. I want to know the power of His 369 00:20:26,600 --> 00:20:30,480 resurrection tomorrow as much as I did yesterday. 370 00:20:30,680 --> 00:20:34,120 I want to know the power of His resurrection five years from 371 00:20:34,120 --> 00:20:38,000 now. Just yes, I want to experience 372 00:20:38,040 --> 00:20:43,480 that because to know the Lord like that is a experiential 373 00:20:43,480 --> 00:20:46,200 knowledge or an experimenting type of knowledge. 374 00:20:46,440 --> 00:20:53,400 You experience something to have that type of knowledge, he says. 375 00:20:53,400 --> 00:20:56,400 I want to ungoing knowledge of Christ of this power. 376 00:20:56,960 --> 00:21:02,240 JA Moore he said nothing is truly known until it becomes a 377 00:21:02,240 --> 00:21:10,200 part of daily conduct. Paul says I've experienced the 378 00:21:10,200 --> 00:21:16,520 gospel, but I want the gospel lived out in my life every day. 379 00:21:18,480 --> 00:21:24,360 Many of us today have had the new birth experience a born of 380 00:21:24,360 --> 00:21:29,680 water and spirit right. But do you know him in your 381 00:21:29,680 --> 00:21:35,160 daily walk and I'm like Paul right. 382 00:21:35,320 --> 00:21:37,240 Paul was really showing some humanity here. 383 00:21:38,200 --> 00:21:40,400 I'm like Paul, my name. I mean we sure name. 384 00:21:42,080 --> 00:21:46,360 I'm like Paul, what did he lead? With in Philippians 310. 385 00:21:46,880 --> 00:21:51,920 That I might know him and the power every individual said on 386 00:21:51,920 --> 00:21:54,800 the sound of my voice. Man, that's what we long for. 387 00:21:54,800 --> 00:21:57,720 That's what we hope for. Sign me up. 388 00:21:58,160 --> 00:22:00,200 I mean, if you have a sign up sheet of power, the 389 00:22:00,200 --> 00:22:05,080 resurrections, fellowship of sufferings on the bulletin board 390 00:22:05,080 --> 00:22:07,840 and say we want you to sign up wherever you want to, you know, 391 00:22:08,280 --> 00:22:10,320 participate. We have all these other 392 00:22:10,320 --> 00:22:11,520 volunteer things, you know, going on. 393 00:22:11,680 --> 00:22:16,520 If you want to participate 1 I dare to say all the lines under 394 00:22:16,520 --> 00:22:19,080 the power of the resurrection going to fill up quite quickly. 395 00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:23,040 I want, I want everything to do with that. 396 00:22:23,600 --> 00:22:27,200 I want to experience that. I want all everything that has 397 00:22:27,200 --> 00:22:29,120 to do with the power of the resurrection. 398 00:22:29,280 --> 00:22:33,080 And that's what Paul even LED with here in this in this first 399 00:22:33,280 --> 00:22:35,720 he said I want to know him in the power of his resurrection. 400 00:22:35,960 --> 00:22:38,880 When he said I wanted to know him, the first detail he gave 401 00:22:39,160 --> 00:22:40,520 and how he wanted to know the Lord. 402 00:22:40,640 --> 00:22:42,280 What's the power of his resurrection? 403 00:22:42,400 --> 00:22:45,320 Sign me up. That's my humanity, brother 404 00:22:45,320 --> 00:22:46,320 Ethan. That's what I want. 405 00:22:46,320 --> 00:22:48,680 I want, I want the power. I want the miracles. 406 00:22:48,840 --> 00:22:51,840 I want all those things, all the blessings, all the goodies of 407 00:22:51,840 --> 00:22:54,440 God. Sign me up for the power of the 408 00:22:54,440 --> 00:22:58,600 resurrection. But then he states the second 409 00:22:58,600 --> 00:23:05,640 one, because he knew deep down he knew you have no power of a 410 00:23:05,720 --> 00:23:14,400 resurrection without suffering. Hear me, you do not get 411 00:23:14,400 --> 00:23:19,760 resurrection power without suffering or something being 412 00:23:19,840 --> 00:23:29,800 buried in the ground. Paul says that's what I want. 413 00:23:30,320 --> 00:23:32,560 If I could say it like this, that's what I want. 414 00:23:33,120 --> 00:23:35,400 But this is how I understand it comes. 415 00:23:35,840 --> 00:23:39,080 I want the power, but I understand I'm a fellowship in 416 00:23:39,080 --> 00:23:41,800 the sufferings. I want to have my hand on that. 417 00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:45,160 But in order to reach that grasp, that experience, that, 418 00:23:45,480 --> 00:23:49,000 understand there's going to come some suffering, some fellowship. 419 00:23:49,320 --> 00:23:52,800 It's easy to want the power of the resurrection without the 420 00:23:52,800 --> 00:23:57,600 pain of the cross, but true resurrection power that raises 421 00:23:57,600 --> 00:24:02,720 our spiritual death requires a willingness at times to endure 422 00:24:02,720 --> 00:24:10,960 some suffering. Oh yes, the late Timothy Keller. 423 00:24:11,520 --> 00:24:14,880 He pointed out in the Bible that the Bible records Jesus weeping 424 00:24:15,160 --> 00:24:18,640 20 times for every. Time he mentions him, the Bible 425 00:24:18,640 --> 00:24:23,840 mentions him laughing. Jesus wept. 20 times for each 426 00:24:23,840 --> 00:24:29,040 time you see him laugh in Scripture, Isaiah prophesied, 427 00:24:29,040 --> 00:24:33,120 said He's a man of sorrows. He's not a man of sorrow. 428 00:24:33,120 --> 00:24:35,920 Because he's just a naturally depressive man. 429 00:24:37,160 --> 00:24:40,800 He's a man of sorrows. Because oftentimes he has 430 00:24:40,800 --> 00:24:45,520 compassion connected him deeply to human pain. 431 00:24:50,080 --> 00:24:52,120 He's among the multitudes. And they're sick. 432 00:24:53,560 --> 00:25:00,160 And the scripture says he had compassion physical. 433 00:25:00,200 --> 00:25:02,080 Emotional, spiritual, it didn't matter. 434 00:25:02,200 --> 00:25:04,240 There were those that had unclean spirits. 435 00:25:04,600 --> 00:25:08,000 And he has compassion. He's a man of sorrows. 436 00:25:08,600 --> 00:25:10,600 Because his compassion links him. 437 00:25:11,120 --> 00:25:14,880 And connects him to human pain. Listen to me this morning. 438 00:25:15,240 --> 00:25:17,800 That's just not a 1st century. Doing of our Lord. 439 00:25:19,160 --> 00:25:22,400 That's a present day. That's a reason why he still 440 00:25:22,400 --> 00:25:27,440 draws near. That's why he still draws near 441 00:25:27,440 --> 00:25:32,360 to you when you're suffering from pain. 442 00:25:33,240 --> 00:25:37,600 At whatever spectrum he draws near, his compassion draws him 443 00:25:37,880 --> 00:25:40,320 in. The Bible tells us in the New 444 00:25:40,320 --> 00:25:43,080 Testament says we have not a high priest. 445 00:25:43,440 --> 00:25:45,680 It's Speaking of Jesus Christ as our high priest. 446 00:25:45,920 --> 00:25:50,920 We have not a high priest who cannot, which cannot be touched 447 00:25:51,040 --> 00:25:54,160 with the feeling of our infirmities. 448 00:25:54,640 --> 00:25:57,160 That means when you hurt, he hurts. 449 00:25:57,400 --> 00:26:00,200 When you experience pain, he experienced pain. 450 00:26:00,320 --> 00:26:03,320 When sorrows entered your life, it's entered his life. 451 00:26:03,480 --> 00:26:06,520 When you're confused, he's looking down on the situation, 452 00:26:06,520 --> 00:26:08,200 saying how can I direct their mind? 453 00:26:08,360 --> 00:26:10,920 When you're emotionally distraught, he's there. 454 00:26:11,000 --> 00:26:18,760 He's drawn clothes. He cannot, he can't ignore what 455 00:26:18,760 --> 00:26:23,160 you're going through. Look at it. 456 00:26:23,640 --> 00:26:26,000 God's compassion responds over and over again. 457 00:26:26,200 --> 00:26:28,640 In scripture to pain. When we look in the Old 458 00:26:28,680 --> 00:26:31,800 Testament, when the children of Israel was in bondage for some 459 00:26:31,800 --> 00:26:36,440 400 years, Egyptian bondage, the Bible says that they cried out 460 00:26:36,440 --> 00:26:39,200 to the Lord. The Bible says that that in 461 00:26:39,200 --> 00:26:42,240 their moment of suffering that those people were afflicted. 462 00:26:42,240 --> 00:26:44,160 And God was aware of all of this. 463 00:26:44,400 --> 00:26:48,600 He knew that they had rigorous taskmasters that all time beat 464 00:26:48,600 --> 00:26:52,360 them and mistreated them. He knew all of their sorrows in 465 00:26:52,360 --> 00:26:57,640 so much that in Exodus chapter #3 Christ the Lord, Amen. 466 00:26:57,640 --> 00:27:00,960 The Lord finally said, taking in all of this, He says, here's 467 00:27:00,960 --> 00:27:05,440 what I'm going to do. I am going to come down to 468 00:27:05,440 --> 00:27:07,800 deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians. 469 00:27:08,040 --> 00:27:11,360 What was that suffering? What was that affliction? 470 00:27:11,520 --> 00:27:13,640 What happened? God says I'm going to draw near 471 00:27:13,640 --> 00:27:17,880 to them, I'm going to draw near to them where they're at, and 472 00:27:17,880 --> 00:27:20,120 I'm going to help deliver them from where they are. 473 00:27:20,280 --> 00:27:22,960 I'm going to come down to them. Here's Hannah. 474 00:27:23,280 --> 00:27:26,000 She's going to the temple one more time. 475 00:27:26,360 --> 00:27:29,080 She's bearing that she can't have any children. 476 00:27:29,560 --> 00:27:31,760 Amen. Her husband's other wife seems 477 00:27:31,760 --> 00:27:35,800 to have children, always criticizing her, mocking her, 478 00:27:35,960 --> 00:27:38,760 making fun of her. She's in the presence of God. 479 00:27:39,000 --> 00:27:40,920 She's got tears going down her face. 480 00:27:41,320 --> 00:27:45,080 The priest that is on duty that day even looks down upon her 481 00:27:45,160 --> 00:27:47,360 thinking and that she's drunk when she was just in the 482 00:27:47,360 --> 00:27:51,560 bitterness of her soul. She was in emotional pain crying 483 00:27:51,560 --> 00:27:55,680 out to God and then God finally responded to her in that 484 00:27:55,680 --> 00:27:58,840 emotional pain and said according to the time of life, 485 00:27:59,040 --> 00:28:02,200 you're going to have a child. What happened in the middle of 486 00:28:02,200 --> 00:28:04,880 her mess? He draw near into her. 487 00:28:05,000 --> 00:28:08,480 He well, what's going on, Hannah? 488 00:28:08,640 --> 00:28:10,720 I'm having a out of the cross moment. 489 00:28:10,920 --> 00:28:12,520 I'm dealing with some pain right now. 490 00:28:12,840 --> 00:28:15,800 I can't put it to words. Perhaps there were some 491 00:28:15,800 --> 00:28:17,840 groanings. Perhaps there were some 492 00:28:17,840 --> 00:28:20,240 utterances that couldn't be articulated. 493 00:28:20,440 --> 00:28:22,480 She's having a out of cross moment. 494 00:28:25,200 --> 00:28:28,000 The cop says I'll come near. According to the Time of life 495 00:28:28,840 --> 00:28:31,800 New Testament, there's a woman had a chronic disease for 12 496 00:28:31,800 --> 00:28:39,880 years, 12 years. But at one touch, her touching 497 00:28:39,880 --> 00:28:43,680 Christ, virtue flows out of him into her. 498 00:28:47,400 --> 00:28:51,080 He draws an ear. Lazarus has been in the. 499 00:28:51,080 --> 00:28:55,560 Tomb for four. Days messengers came to the Lord 500 00:28:56,640 --> 00:29:00,480 and told him, Your friend Lazarus is sick. 501 00:29:01,520 --> 00:29:05,880 He's going to die. The Lord tells his disciples, 502 00:29:06,480 --> 00:29:08,120 Let's continue here for a few days. 503 00:29:10,560 --> 00:29:13,360 He shows. Up on day that's been 4. 504 00:29:13,360 --> 00:29:17,680 Days he even says, I'm glad that I wasn't. 505 00:29:17,680 --> 00:29:20,160 There when it even. Happened that the glory of God 506 00:29:20,160 --> 00:29:22,320 might be. Shown, but he shows. 507 00:29:22,320 --> 00:29:24,760 Up on the 4th day and look the scripture. 508 00:29:24,760 --> 00:29:26,840 We have it up there. I'm pretty sure we do. 509 00:29:26,840 --> 00:29:30,200 In John chapter #11 look at the scripture here. 510 00:29:30,920 --> 00:29:35,200 And verse #33. For the Mason when Jesus. 511 00:29:35,200 --> 00:29:40,600 Therefore saw her Speaking of. Of Mary here and Martha. 512 00:29:42,280 --> 00:29:46,480 Weeping, and the Jews also weeping, which came with her. 513 00:29:46,880 --> 00:29:49,920 He groaned in the spirit, and was troubled. 514 00:29:49,920 --> 00:29:53,600 Verse 34 And said, Where have you laid him? 515 00:29:54,840 --> 00:29:59,520 They said unto him, Lord, come. See now notice he shows up. 516 00:29:59,880 --> 00:30:02,400 The first one to come to him was, Martha said. 517 00:30:02,400 --> 00:30:04,800 Lord, if you had been here, our brother would have not died. 518 00:30:05,960 --> 00:30:08,400 And then? Word gets to Mary, she leaves 519 00:30:08,400 --> 00:30:11,280 the house, and the other groups follow her, thinking she's 520 00:30:11,280 --> 00:30:14,040 probably going to tune, to weep, and to mourn. 521 00:30:14,160 --> 00:30:17,240 But she goes, He's the Lord and. She is just like verbatim with 522 00:30:17,240 --> 00:30:19,280 Martha. Lord, if you had been here, our 523 00:30:19,280 --> 00:30:20,480 brother would not have. Died. 524 00:30:21,560 --> 00:30:25,120 Look, he shows up, he knows what's happened, but he didn't 525 00:30:25,120 --> 00:30:26,880 go to the grave. When he first showed up. 526 00:30:28,200 --> 00:30:33,680 But when he seen. Them weep when he seared the 527 00:30:33,680 --> 00:30:35,320 tears. Going down Mary, Martha and the 528 00:30:35,320 --> 00:30:37,080 other Jews. Face, he says. 529 00:30:37,240 --> 00:30:39,160 Where did you lay? Why? 530 00:30:39,560 --> 00:30:41,400 Because he's starting to. He's drawing near. 531 00:30:42,880 --> 00:30:45,440 I see your pain, I see your sorrow. 532 00:30:45,880 --> 00:30:48,680 Just show me where you've put the body. 533 00:30:48,880 --> 00:30:51,920 Show me where you have laid. Him. 534 00:30:52,920 --> 00:30:55,080 Because nothing. Was done toward Lazarus 535 00:30:55,080 --> 00:30:59,680 resurrection until there was identification with their pain. 536 00:31:02,440 --> 00:31:05,760 He joined in sister Sheila the. The shortest. 537 00:31:05,760 --> 00:31:13,600 Verse of the Bible is there recorded in John Jesus what's 538 00:31:13,600 --> 00:31:16,640 going on? He's joining in that moment. 539 00:31:16,640 --> 00:31:19,680 Although Calvary's not happened yet, but it will in just a few 540 00:31:19,680 --> 00:31:22,200 weeks. He's joining in that moment in a 541 00:31:22,200 --> 00:31:24,640 out of the. Cross feelings. 542 00:31:25,040 --> 00:31:27,480 With Mary and Martha and the Jews. 543 00:31:28,000 --> 00:31:29,760 And then he proceeds to resurrect. 544 00:31:31,960 --> 00:31:36,560 In reality, folks, he showcases what he's going to do in his own 545 00:31:36,560 --> 00:31:43,960 life before, before it's ever played out. 546 00:31:44,520 --> 00:31:52,560 Suffering, then resurrection. Pain, then resurrection out of 547 00:31:52,560 --> 00:31:55,720 the cross moment, then out of the grave moment. 548 00:32:00,200 --> 00:32:03,160 I want to someone hear me today. The Lord has not turned. 549 00:32:03,160 --> 00:32:05,160 His head towards you. And he, he. 550 00:32:05,160 --> 00:32:08,440 Is not distant from you. And he's not indifferent to 551 00:32:08,440 --> 00:32:09,880 whatever type of pain you may be. 552 00:32:09,880 --> 00:32:14,120 Experiencing this morning. Quite the contrary, He is drawn 553 00:32:14,120 --> 00:32:19,160 to you today and He plans on and wants to respond to your 554 00:32:19,160 --> 00:32:23,320 excruciating pain. Because Christ puts the purpose 555 00:32:23,320 --> 00:32:26,240 in the cross. Christ puts the purpose in your 556 00:32:26,240 --> 00:32:29,000 pain. Christ puts the purpose in our 557 00:32:29,000 --> 00:32:32,680 pain, in our agony. Hey, man, see there were those 558 00:32:32,800 --> 00:32:36,280 that whatever even Christ was crucified, the Bible says there 559 00:32:36,280 --> 00:32:39,400 was a malefactor on his left and a malefactor on his right. 560 00:32:41,560 --> 00:32:46,800 It's horrible to suffer without purpose. 561 00:32:52,200 --> 00:32:55,800 One is railing upon the Lord, one of the malefactor is a 562 00:32:55,800 --> 00:33:01,160 railing upon the Lord, but the other one looks at him and said, 563 00:33:01,160 --> 00:33:07,800 hey buddy, we're here because we should be here. 564 00:33:10,360 --> 00:33:17,480 I think the scripture says this is our due reward, he said. 565 00:33:17,480 --> 00:33:25,760 But this man, nothing unjust. They just didn't know because he 566 00:33:25,760 --> 00:33:29,680 wasn't there on the cross without reason. 567 00:33:31,680 --> 00:33:36,520 He wasn't there on the cross without purpose, the Hebrews 568 00:33:36,520 --> 00:33:42,240 writer said. For the joy that was set before 569 00:33:42,240 --> 00:33:47,240 him, he endured the cross and the shame and the pain. 570 00:33:47,240 --> 00:33:49,840 Why? He says, I can make it through 571 00:33:49,840 --> 00:33:53,960 this hour because my suffering isn't purposeless. 572 00:33:54,320 --> 00:33:57,960 I can make it through this moment because I'm here to tell 573 00:33:57,960 --> 00:34:00,160 somebody today. You need to get a new 574 00:34:00,160 --> 00:34:03,880 perspective on where you are with your suffering, your 575 00:34:03,880 --> 00:34:07,640 tribulation, and your pain. It's not purposeless. 576 00:34:07,960 --> 00:34:11,120 You're not just hanging there. You're not just experiencing 577 00:34:11,120 --> 00:34:13,120 something. You might have an out of the 578 00:34:13,120 --> 00:34:18,080 cross moment for a resurrection, out of the grave moment in your 579 00:34:18,080 --> 00:34:31,400 life. You can live your life. 580 00:34:33,639 --> 00:34:38,440 So that you endured the pain. For the game. 581 00:34:42,280 --> 00:34:45,639 Listen, folks. We in our own situations would 582 00:34:45,639 --> 00:34:52,679 just be as equally powerless for the reason if we had a criseless 583 00:34:52,679 --> 00:35:06,360 cross or a crossless Christ. Meaning in this life, if you 584 00:35:06,360 --> 00:35:08,360 think man's trying to search for the meaning. 585 00:35:08,680 --> 00:35:12,040 Of his life now, he'd be in a great grander. 586 00:35:12,360 --> 00:35:17,600 Hopeless search if we had a Christ less cross or a cross 587 00:35:17,600 --> 00:35:21,600 less Christ. People already told me, you 588 00:35:21,600 --> 00:35:24,120 know, what's the purpose of the We already have all those. 589 00:35:24,120 --> 00:35:25,760 Questions today. But they would be. 590 00:35:25,760 --> 00:35:29,600 Magnified and amplified. If it wasn't for Calvary. 591 00:35:31,080 --> 00:35:33,120 The apostle said in Acts, he said we. 592 00:35:33,120 --> 00:35:41,960 Must, through much tribulation, enter into the Kingdom of God. 593 00:35:44,120 --> 00:35:47,360 And so like Paul this morning, we were doing more than just. 594 00:35:47,360 --> 00:35:50,600 Experiencing the gospel. We're living the gospel. 595 00:35:51,840 --> 00:35:54,760 We fellowship in like manner with His sufferings. 596 00:35:55,240 --> 00:35:59,280 We we want resurrection power in our daily lives, but that comes 597 00:35:59,280 --> 00:36:01,640 without of the cross. Living. 598 00:36:03,360 --> 00:36:04,560 Oh, Brother McGee, that's painful. 599 00:36:04,560 --> 00:36:06,160 Yeah, it is. It can be. 600 00:36:06,920 --> 00:36:08,520 And that, that, that's troubling at times. 601 00:36:08,720 --> 00:36:10,880 Yeah, it could. That's emotionally. 602 00:36:10,880 --> 00:36:13,040 Just over yes, All of those things. 603 00:36:13,040 --> 00:36:16,520 All the above. The all the above, yes. 604 00:36:18,800 --> 00:36:20,920 But you know the trade. Off is this. 605 00:36:22,600 --> 00:36:28,360 I know him, I know him. Look at it this morning. 606 00:36:28,360 --> 00:36:31,320 Second Corinthians Chapter 11. Here's Paul's portfolio. 607 00:36:31,320 --> 00:36:33,800 Many of you have read this many times, but Paul says this 608 00:36:33,800 --> 00:36:36,720 starting verse #23 and I'm jumping in just a little bit. 609 00:36:36,880 --> 00:36:41,320 He's talking about his portfolio and labor's more abundant and 610 00:36:41,320 --> 00:36:48,320 stripes above measure imprisons more frequent and deaths OFT of 611 00:36:48,320 --> 00:36:51,000 the Jews five times received I-40 stripes save one. 612 00:36:51,520 --> 00:36:54,240 Thrice was I beaten with. Rods once was I stone can 613 00:36:54,240 --> 00:36:58,080 someone say pain? Thrice I suffered shipwreck a 614 00:36:58,080 --> 00:37:02,600 night and a day I have spin in the deep in journeys, often in 615 00:37:02,600 --> 00:37:07,120 perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own 616 00:37:07,120 --> 00:37:12,280 countrymen. Nobody hearing me that slides 617 00:37:12,280 --> 00:37:17,120 over into even emotional in. Perils by the heathen in. 618 00:37:17,120 --> 00:37:20,720 Perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the 619 00:37:20,720 --> 00:37:28,760 sea, in perils among false brethren that gets emotional in 620 00:37:28,760 --> 00:37:30,000 weariness. And painfulness. 621 00:37:30,000 --> 00:37:32,120 And watchings. Often in hunger and thirst and 622 00:37:32,120 --> 00:37:35,200 fastings, often in code. And nakedness besides. 623 00:37:35,200 --> 00:37:39,120 Those things which are without. That which cometh on me daily, 624 00:37:39,120 --> 00:37:43,240 the care. Of all the churches out. 625 00:37:43,320 --> 00:37:50,440 Of the cross moments. And I'm not ignorant today. 626 00:37:50,440 --> 00:37:53,640 I know some of our pain, maybe sometimes we bring on ourselves, 627 00:37:53,640 --> 00:37:56,240 sometimes other people bring pain of honest. 628 00:37:56,240 --> 00:38:03,080 And sometimes pain is just life. Listen, I'm I'm not of, I'm not 629 00:38:03,080 --> 00:38:05,680 of the persuasion that I'm looking under the rock for every 630 00:38:05,680 --> 00:38:07,120 time something goes wrong and it's. 631 00:38:07,280 --> 00:38:10,720 You know it's the devil. Sometimes, well, pain. 632 00:38:10,720 --> 00:38:13,360 Sometimes it's just part of life because life has been corrupted 633 00:38:13,360 --> 00:38:16,600 since the very beginning. It's just part of life. 634 00:38:17,920 --> 00:38:19,720 Some. Pain is life in Christ. 635 00:38:20,480 --> 00:38:23,760 But all pain. When it reaches excruciating, 636 00:38:23,760 --> 00:38:28,200 however, that may mean to you on a scale one to 10 is out of the 637 00:38:28,200 --> 00:38:32,040 cross. If you can stand with me this 638 00:38:32,040 --> 00:38:38,200 morning and. Brother Malone over behind. 639 00:38:38,200 --> 00:38:39,960 This door over here, Lean back to the fellowship hall. 640 00:38:39,960 --> 00:38:41,640 I have a cross if you don't mind to go get it. 641 00:38:42,960 --> 00:38:47,880 Paul's desire to know. Christ, again, wasn't simply 642 00:38:47,880 --> 00:38:51,720 just about knowing His glory and his resurrection to share in the 643 00:38:51,720 --> 00:38:57,080 fellowship of his sufferings, because true resurrection power 644 00:38:57,080 --> 00:39:01,960 comes out of the cross. And those moments this morning 645 00:39:01,960 --> 00:39:05,760 sometimes are are deeply personal. 646 00:39:07,440 --> 00:39:11,600 I didn't have time to make it so this thing could stand, but it's 647 00:39:11,600 --> 00:39:13,800 going to stand as best as it can right there today. 648 00:39:16,800 --> 00:39:23,080 Sometimes it's deeply personal. And even your personal suffering 649 00:39:23,080 --> 00:39:25,920 isn't wasted. There are. 650 00:39:25,920 --> 00:39:27,480 Opportunities for Christ to draw. 651 00:39:27,480 --> 00:39:31,960 Near. To know him, I want to 652 00:39:31,960 --> 00:39:34,200 understand today that there are sometimes that. 653 00:39:34,200 --> 00:39:36,880 We. Have been given the opportunity 654 00:39:36,880 --> 00:39:39,720 to know the Lord in ways we would have never been able to 655 00:39:39,720 --> 00:39:42,120 know Him had it not been for our pains. 656 00:39:44,960 --> 00:39:48,640 You hearing me? That had not been for. 657 00:39:49,000 --> 00:39:52,640 Our pains. And here as we close this. 658 00:39:52,640 --> 00:39:55,480 Morning. I know Jesus suffered on that 659 00:39:55,480 --> 00:39:57,840 cross, and there's the resurrection, there's eternal 660 00:39:57,840 --> 00:40:02,240 life, there's all these things. His life many times can be 661 00:40:02,240 --> 00:40:06,400 manifested in our life. It's not indifferent to you and 662 00:40:06,400 --> 00:40:08,960 I'm going to close this morning. With this, here's what I urge 663 00:40:08,960 --> 00:40:12,000 you to do this morning. There might be people here 664 00:40:12,000 --> 00:40:16,920 that's in pain, could be physical, it could be spiritual. 665 00:40:16,960 --> 00:40:20,320 It may be emotional. But this morning, if you would. 666 00:40:20,320 --> 00:40:22,040 Feel led to and I'm going to do it. 667 00:40:22,040 --> 00:40:24,560 Here today I want you to come up and fill out one of those. 668 00:40:24,560 --> 00:40:26,080 You can fill out three. Of those, they don't matter. 669 00:40:26,280 --> 00:40:27,760 I just want you to write a number on it. 670 00:40:28,600 --> 00:40:31,520 That number might represent the spiritual pain you're in right 671 00:40:31,520 --> 00:40:32,520 now. I don't know. 672 00:40:32,520 --> 00:40:33,800 You don't have to write spiritual on it. 673 00:40:34,160 --> 00:40:37,200 That pain might be the. Physical pain you're in could be 674 00:40:37,200 --> 00:40:40,080 the emotional pain you're just want you to write a number on it 675 00:40:40,560 --> 00:40:42,080 whenever you've written that number I. 676 00:40:42,080 --> 00:40:44,800 Just because sometimes. It just might be out of cross 677 00:40:44,800 --> 00:40:46,960 pain. I just want you to stick it to 678 00:40:47,000 --> 00:40:52,520 the cross and hopefully the sawdust doesn't prevent you from 679 00:40:52,520 --> 00:40:54,800 doing that. Just write your number, whatever 680 00:40:54,800 --> 00:40:57,040 it is. This is just for an example. 681 00:40:57,440 --> 00:41:00,240 Write your number again, I don't know if it's physical, 682 00:41:00,240 --> 00:41:02,240 emotional, spiritual. Just write your number. 683 00:41:02,960 --> 00:41:06,840 Throw it on the cross. It's excruciating. 684 00:41:07,680 --> 00:41:10,000 It's out of cross. Amen. 685 00:41:10,720 --> 00:41:12,600 Just identifying with the suffering. 686 00:41:14,720 --> 00:41:17,720 But if I do that, I can identify with the. 687 00:41:17,720 --> 00:41:20,240 Out of the cross. Suffering of pain. 688 00:41:21,240 --> 00:41:23,080 There's something on the other side of this. 689 00:41:23,960 --> 00:41:27,240 It was gruesome years ago. It was torture and death years 690 00:41:27,240 --> 00:41:30,920 ago. But there's another side to the 691 00:41:30,920 --> 00:41:35,320 cross. I'm living in the other. 692 00:41:35,600 --> 00:41:37,160 I'm not living in the. Shadow of the cross. 693 00:41:37,160 --> 00:41:38,720 I'm living in the light of the cross. 694 00:41:39,520 --> 00:41:41,320 Shadow of the Cross. With just all the agony, all 695 00:41:41,320 --> 00:41:45,280 that, but now I've transferred to the light of the cross, life, 696 00:41:46,400 --> 00:41:49,760 resurrection, power. Somebody might need to identify 697 00:41:50,480 --> 00:41:52,280 Brother McGee. You don't even know. 698 00:41:52,520 --> 00:41:55,240 And I don't have to know. And listen, you put up a number 699 00:41:55,240 --> 00:41:56,880 up there. If it's even the 10, everybody 700 00:41:56,880 --> 00:41:59,560 don't know if that's physical, spiritual, whatever, who cares? 701 00:42:00,320 --> 00:42:03,040 What am I doing? I'm just it's excruciating. 702 00:42:04,320 --> 00:42:05,880 It's out of the cross type of pain. 703 00:42:06,560 --> 00:42:11,160 I've dealt with some things just here recently and I had some 704 00:42:11,160 --> 00:42:12,840 things cross through my mind and. 705 00:42:14,800 --> 00:42:19,600 It's been. Difficult just just go there 706 00:42:19,600 --> 00:42:21,800 because the broken the contract. God will not. 707 00:42:22,360 --> 00:42:25,240 He won't refuse. He'll draw near that. 708 00:42:26,040 --> 00:42:28,520 He'll draw near that. These altars are open, there's 709 00:42:28,520 --> 00:42:31,120 Sharpies, there's there's these things on either side. 710 00:42:31,120 --> 00:42:32,640 Again, you don't have to write what it is. 711 00:42:32,640 --> 00:42:35,360 You can just write a number, whatever that is to you and. 712 00:42:35,360 --> 00:42:37,160 The thing is, your 5 might be my. 713 00:42:37,200 --> 00:42:39,280 Three, you understand pain is subjective. 714 00:42:40,440 --> 00:42:42,120 Your tent. Could be someone else's seven 715 00:42:42,120 --> 00:42:44,320 vice versa. Pain is all subjective. 716 00:42:45,040 --> 00:42:48,800 Maybe you just need to identify with the cross this morning and 717 00:42:48,800 --> 00:42:55,800 out of the cross experience. God, I felt alone. 718 00:42:57,240 --> 00:42:59,360 God, I'm still mourning the loss of a loved one. 719 00:43:00,240 --> 00:43:02,760 God, I got some things that's went on in my spiritual life 720 00:43:02,760 --> 00:43:05,680 that it seems like just the weight of guilt and shame. 721 00:43:05,680 --> 00:43:09,160 It's it's, it's God. It's just feels like A7 to me 722 00:43:09,240 --> 00:43:12,320 today. Feels like A7 to me today. 723 00:43:12,320 --> 00:43:16,120 God having an out of the cross moment. 724 00:43:16,880 --> 00:43:20,240 God, I can't always put it into. Words I I can't always find the 725 00:43:20,240 --> 00:43:21,800 right. Adjectives to describe this 726 00:43:21,800 --> 00:43:23,680 someone. Even would ask me what's wrong. 727 00:43:23,920 --> 00:43:25,880 I don't know how I could even answer. 728 00:43:25,880 --> 00:43:28,760 Them or put it into words. Maybe you just need a number 729 00:43:28,760 --> 00:43:32,440 today and something that's just planted on a cross. 730 00:43:40,080 --> 00:43:48,800 Oh yes, Lord, yes, Lord, yes, Lord, I love you. 731 00:43:48,800 --> 00:43:55,480 It's another good to see you Sunday morning.